MISSING
by CallMeElphie
Summary: Katara is kidnapped by the nefarious criminal Yakone. Will the rest of the Gaang be able to save her? Or will time run out?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One. Late Night Meetings.

Aang rubbed the back of his head already feeling ashamed of being late for the twenty-second consecutive year. He pushed open the heavy glass doors that opened into a marble-floored entry way.

"Aang, wait up!" Sokka's voice rang through the empty room.

The Avatar stopped reluctantly. "What do you need, Sokka? I'm in a bit of a hurry to be home." Urgency jutted from the words in a low growl as he tried to keep cool. A last minute meeting over policy change in punishment for bloodbending had been brought up. Aang was forced to sit in on the impromptu meeting that happened to take place on his anniversary.

"What do you want me to say to end the meeting?" Sokka tugged on his pony tail. "I'm so sorry we kept you late. I am happy that you were here." The Councilman lowered his voice as if the walls had ears, "I thought it was interesting the bloodbending legislation was brought up thirty days before election time. I think we should keep an eye on that Eugene guy."

Aang's brow furrowed. "That is very odd, yes. But Sokka, you have to understand that I need to get home. Katara has been expecting me. It's a wonder she hasn't left me after thirty-two years of not being on time for our anniversary dinner." Legislation was the last thing on his mind. He twirled his glider to make it unfold. His grey eyes shot one last warning at Sokka.

"Okay, we'll talk about it later. Have fun. Make good choices." With a sigh, Sokka turned on his heels and headed back to the meeting room where Eugene and the other members of the Council still sat in waiting.

Somewhat relieved, Aang took off on his glider and headed for home. The island seemed forever out of reach as he flew over the city. Work was never done and was never convenient for his marriage to Katara. He was thankful she was understanding of the whole situation. Or at least most times she made an effort to understand.

As soon as his feet touched the ground, he whispered a prayer for himself. Without taking a last look at the moon over the bay, he reached to open the door but found that it had been left slightly open.

Worry began to wash over him. She never left the door open at night.

"Katara?" He called out as he stepped into the house. The entry way and living room were dark, but there was a small light left on in the kitchen. Aang called her name again with more worry seeping into his voice. He hoped she was just ignoring him. He leaned his glider against the wall and quietly walked through the two empty rooms.

He turned the corner to enter the kitchen, "Sweetie, I'm sorry. I-" He stopped his explanation as soon as he realized she wasn't there. It wasn't in the condition she always had it in either. A pan sat on the stovetop, dishwater was left in the sink, and a rag was left on the floor. He guessed that she started to prepare dinner for herself when their plans to go out obviously fell through.

Still, this wasn't like Katara.

The place was so quiet that Aang wondered if she was outside. She sometimes liked to sit on the balcony outside of their bedroom when she needed peace. Their room faced towards the open ocean instead of the city. Katara mentioned that she loved to look at the horizon because that's where the ocean kissed the sky. It was a metaphor for them.

"Katara," Aang called just before opening their bedroom door. The dress she had picked for the evening hung by her mirrored vanity. It was one of his favorites known as "the purple one." With a sigh, he walked over and touched the fabric.

The night would have been absolutely beautiful. They planned to go to the fanciest restaurant and then leave for an entire week to Ember Island. Sokka was the only one that knew about the Ember Island part. The couple wanted to disappear to have some privacy for just five days.

Maybe she'd left without him.

A folded piece of paper sitting on the vanity caught his attention. He held his breath. It was probably going to be her beautiful handwriting telling him she needed to get away for a while. Aang unfolded the paper at a dreadfully slow rate to delay the aching in his heart.

The words on the page revealed something much worse.

Katara's eyes fluttered open from a dreamless sleep. The sound of her heart beating thudded in her ears. Everything spun slowly. Her head rested on damp cement. Her hands were bound behind her back and her feet were tied together with rough rope.

As the memory of how she'd gotten to this spot flooded her, her lungs fought for every breath she took.

"Okay, okay. Don't panic. First question, where are you?" She said quietly to herself.

The room was dark except for the small amount of light streaming in from a window on the door. It illuminated the space enough to see that it was no bigger than a storage closet. No other details could be seen.

Katara maneuvered herself to a somewhat sitting position. "Second question, can you bend?" She twirled her fingers behind her in attempt to bend water from the air. Nothing happened. "Dammit." The news was out that some criminals had figured out the drug police used to block bending; obviously the men who kidnapped her figured out the formula. "Looks like it's plan B."

She scooted across the floor looking for anything that could cut the ropes.

Before she could get very far, the door opened and a bare light bulb was powered on. "Ah, you're awake. How nice." A coy male voice drifted on the air.

"Yakone." Katara growled through her clenched jaw.

Towering above her, Yakone took a cigarette and lighter from his vest pocket. "You know, you're much prettier in person." He tapped the cigarette on his wrist and lit it. "I really like the idea of you tied up." Finally, he took a long drag on the cigarette and stepped towards her.

"You're disgusting." Katara spat, trying to kick herself away from him.

He knelt down to look her in the face and exhaled the smoke. "Am I?" He smirked. "You know, I think I'm a genius. For years I have slaved over ideas for how to get rid of the Avatar. Killing him would only land myself in jail and cause the people to rally against gangs. Kidnapping him, too dangerous. It'd be me six feet under. Then one day, I saw you on the cover of one of those annoying magazines for teenaged girls and thought, 'that's it. To make the Avatar surrender Republic City to me, I have to take what he loves most.' Tell me I'm a genius."

She felt tears burn her eyes with hatred for him. "You're going to be dead when I get out of this! Or worse! If Aang gets to you."

Yakone stood and laughed. "Ah yes, your dear husband that stood you up for another meeting. My apologies, princess, but if he has any smarts, he'll just give me what I want. If not, well, I've got some pretty awful things planned for you."

"You're forgetting who you're talking to."

"And I think you've forgotten who is in control at this moment." Yakone took a final drag from the cigarette and thrust it into Katara's neck. She let out a wild cry in pain. "Face it, princess, you're mine now. Soon, the whole city will be too."

**Hi there, I'm Elphie... This is my first story on , but this is not my first fan fiction ever. I started writing fan fiction for ATLA six years ago. I posted things to ...oh those were the days. Then I moved to wattpad, and now I finally feel like I could possibly, maybe be good enough for this site. I view it as the major leagues and I am excited and nervous all at the same time. There are so many wonderful writers on here and I envy them all. Anyway, thanks for stopping by! ~Elphie**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Avatar: The Last Airbender. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey, thank you to everyone who gave a review/followed/added this to your favorites! It is very encouraging to me as a young writer! Big thank you to chickenscrews! I really appreciated the time you took reviewing this.**

**Anyway, y'all are lovely! **

**~Elphie**

Chapter Two

Denial.

Aang's world stopped at the end of the final sentence of the note. He placed the now crinkled paper back on the vanity where he found it. He'd hope it'd turn back time. His eyes darted to the mirror, hoping to see Katara standing next to him.

Instead, Avatar Kuruk took the place of his own reflection. A past life that was devastated by the capture and death of his lover. The man's eyes sunk with years of unspeakable sadness and pain.

Avatar Kuruk walked forward, his arm extended. As Kuruk's hand touched Aang's shoulder all the pain of his past lives rushed forward. All the loss of people so distant in time and memory crowded him. He grew frustrated that he couldn't clear his mind enough to think of only Katara. It all flurried around him in flashes of faces and questions parts of him begged to ask. Why her? Why now? What's happening to her? Where is she? _Katara_. He felt his legs give way to gravity. The shock of the cold ground froze his thoughts. The last phrase she said to him, her eyes fixed on something else, "Don't be late, please." It felt distant, out of reach. Everything about her, from her pleasing fragrance to the way she hummed in content when he kissed her goodbye, ripped away from him. _Katara_. His mind began to thaw bringing him back to the present. _Katara_. Reality that she was gone hit him hard as he lay shaking on the floor. He quickly clawed his way to the bathroom where he emptied the contents of his stomach into the toilet. _Katara_. His mind boiling now one thought remained.

Where is she?

He caught his breath and finally stood. Aang glanced at himself in the mirror again to find his own reflection. The storm stirring in his eyes startled even himself, but he ignored it. One thing mattered to him: getting his wife back.

Fire danced on his breath as he left the bathroom. Grabbing his glider, he flew over the bay.

Seeing the city's lights fanned the fire already growing deep within his soul. Somewhere amid the people laughing, dancing, and partying, the rotten underbelly celebrated its own triumph.

Aang landed in the middle of the street Toph lived on. He checked over his shoulder multiple times before briskly walking up to the home of his friend. He pounded on the door, urgency sweeping throughout his body.

"Uncle Aang?" Lin's voice carried concern for him immediately.

"Can I come in?" He asked, unsuccessfully grasping for his composure. Lin didn't have time to answer before Aang stepped inside.

"Twinkle-toes?" Toph's voice drifted from the kitchen. "I didn't expect to see you here on your anniversary."

"I didn't expect to be here either." Aang snapped, throwing his glider on the floor. He crossed into the kitchen and looked over at Toph. She was in her casual wear, getting ready to wind down for the evening.

"Hey, Lin—"Another familiar voice emerged from the back hall. Tenzin rounded the corner, a goofy smile dashed across his face. "Oh. Dad, I thought you were with mom?"

Aang saw through the paper thin excuse. "You were supposed to be at Sokka's." Anger welled up in his throat. "Do you know what could have happened if I didn't know where you were? Something terrible could have happened to you and I wouldn't have a clue of where to find you or how to get to you! You are sixteen-years-old and should be more responsible. Do you understand how important it is for me to know where you are?" He felt Toph's hand on his shoulder.

"You need to cool it. Sokka was coming here to get him after the meeting so the poor boy wasn't alone." Toph took a seat at the kitchen table. "What's gotten you so worked up?"

Tenzin strolled over to Lin and put his arm around her shoulder. "Oh, don't you know, it's his anniversary." He smirked at his dad, who had his head in his hands. "Something obviously must have happened. Did she throw something at you like she did two years ago? That was funny!"

"Tenzin! Enough." Aang rose. The air was left unsettled by his outburst. They waited on his explanation. "She's gone."

Silence held on to the space between them. Aang returned to his chair.

Tenzin exchanged glances with Lin before speaking up. "What do you mean?"

Aang avoided the glare from his son by keeping his eyes on the table. "I mean she's been taken. Kidnapped."

"Are you sure, Twinkle-toes?" Toph's voice was filled with disbelief.

"Yeah, dad. That sounds ridiculous. I mean, mom could fight back. There's no way." Tenzin released Lin and wandered to the kitchen window.

"I'm telling you, she's gone and someone took her. I know. I have a note and evidence that she was taken. You have to believe me!" Aang's voice trembled.

"All right, I'll go put a jacket on and we can go check out your house for any evidence." She rose from the table and started down the hall to her bedroom. "This is all unofficial because I wouldn't put it past Sweetness to pack up and leave for a night." She tossed over her shoulder.

"Hurry." Aang growled.

Tenzin had to admit that seeing the kitchen in such disarray upset him. It was not at all how his mother would leave it under any circumstance. He watched as Toph stood there rubbing her chin in thought while tapping her bare foot in a steady beat, perhaps in hope the vibrations may come back to her with something new. "Well, Junior, this is peculiar. No sign of struggle. Unless you count the dropped dish rag. The doorjamb is busted on the front door, which leads me to believe there was a break in. I'll have to bring a team out. Can you go ask your dad for that note?" She asked him finally, arms crossed and frowning.

"Yes." Tenzin responded simply. He refused to believe that his mother was taken. Even if someone broke in, she could have fought them off. Then, obviously shaken, she would have gone to Uncle Sokka's house. That was the story he was going with. Mom was at Uncle Sokka's and they haven't checked there yet.

He poked his head into his parent's bedroom. "Dad?" He kept his voice low.

Aang sat on Katara's side of the bed curled into himself. Sadness immediately overtook Tenzin. He looked to his mother's vanity where a piece of paper sat crinkled. Keeping his eyes on his father, he picked it up and smoothed it out.

"_Avatar,_

_ I hope you don't mind, but I thought I would borrow a little something of yours. If you want your precious wife back, you'll have to give me what I want. See how that works?_

_ Happy anniversary."_

"No." The word escaped as a whisper from Tenzin's lips. He looked back over at his father. Tears streaked the face of the most powerful man on the planet, and he knew that this was real.

Katara was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Nightmare

Tenzin's soul ripped in two. He didn't know whether he wanted to punch the wall or collapse against it. The world seemed to be closing in. The edges of his vision began to darken.

Young Tenzin woke with a start. The house was quiet, and that scared him even more. He jumped from his bed with careful precision to land right at his bedroom door rather than risk being gobbled up by the monster in his nightmare.

He quickly ran to the end of the hall and pushed the door open just enough for him to squeeze through. He saw half the bed was empty. _Daddy's probably being the Avatar. _Tiptoeing with Airbender ease, he quietly made his way to his mother. Relief poured over him when he saw that a monster didn't steal her. To be perfectly sure she was real, he prodded her face with one stubby finger.

Her eyes fluttered open and he froze.

"Tenzin you're supposed to be sleeping." The soothing voice of his mother validated her presence.

"Momma, I had to make sure you were here." He whispered frantically.

She reached out with and held his tiny hand in hers, "I'm here," she said. Katara kissed his hand and offered a sleepy smile. "Now you need to go back to sleep."

"But Momma I had a dream where a scary monster stole you away and Daddy's superpowers disappeared and I never saw you again and I was all alone forever!" He said, throwing his arms up over his head in exasperation.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. I will always be there for you, OK? Would it make you feel better if you slept in my bed tonight?"

Tenzin nodded his head and crawled under the covers beside his mother. He wished Daddy would come home.

At least he had his mom.

Tenzin jerked back to reality. _You promised. _Pushing himself up, he punched the wall and strode out of the room without looking at his father.

"Are you alright?" Lin turned towards the boy, worry etched in her face.

Without acknowledging the presence of the world, Tenzin continued out of the house. Opening up his glider, he heard his father behind him. A firm hand on his shoulder delayed his takeoff.

"I need you." Aang's stormy eyes pleaded with Tenzin to stay.

_Me? You're the Avatar. You're everything. People need you. I need you. She needs you._

"Mom needs me more" He broke free from his father's grip and threw the glider out in front of him.

Tenzin took off over the bay, the tears overflowing then disappearing into the glimmering water below. He had no destination in mind. _Mom? Where are you? I need you. I need Dad. You said I wouldn't have to be alone. You said the monster wouldn't take you. Where is he? Where is the monster?_

His eyes half blind with tears and rage, he searched the streets of Republic city. His anger increasing with his speed. _Where are you! Where did you take my mom? I can't spend my life alone._

On the street below, Sokka walked with slow, deliberate steps towards Toph's house. His head hung low and he concentrated on kicking a stone to distract him from his thoughts about the meeting.

Tumbling out of the sky, Tenzin landed hard on the cold pavement. In the light of the streetlamp, he could just make out Sokka's face.

"Tenzin? Are you okay?" Sokka rushed towards him to help him up.

Tenzin thrust him away violently. "It's your fault! This wouldn't have happened if it weren't for you!"

"Tenzin, what are you talking about?" Sokka's voice filled with concern for the boy.

Tenzin's hands weakly pounded at Sokka's chest. Exhaustion threatened to overtake him.

"I'm all alone and it's because of you!" Tenzin shouted, his voice threatened to break.

"Slow down. Tenzin what's wrong? Sokka reached out and put his hands on Tenzin's shoulders.

"It's all your fault! You could have stopped the meeting! It's your fault he was late!"

"You're not making any sense! Take a deep breath."

"No! She's missing! I wish the monster had taken you instead! It's all your fault!" Tenzin collapsed on the ground. Tired, emotionally and physically, he sat in a pitiful heap sobbing.

Sokka knelt down beside him. "Who is missing, Tenzin?"

"Mom."

The blood drained from the man's face. His hand began to tremble as the night filled with Tenzin's sobbing. Katara? Missing? A million questions rushed his mind and every answer led him to a single conclusion. "It is my fault."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Blame

_It's all his fault. _

_ He promised he'd be home._

_ He wasn't._

_ Now I'm here. _

Katara cried in silence. Murmurs from behind the door fused with her thoughts. _What is Yakone planning to do with her anyway? _Spirits only knew.

If he had just been there.

This wasn't like the other times where he'd come in late with a shy, goofy smile and begin to stutter through an eloquent apology that got her every time. This wasn't like the times where she grew so frustrated that it took hours for her to accept the apology. Deep down, she believed that he loved her with every fiber of his being. She understood his split life of being the world's balance and being a husband and father.

"Don't be late, please." She had said, looking over his shoulder to the bay that always came between them. When he kissed her, she felt butterflies in her stomach as if she returned to being the fourteen-year-old version of herself that was swept off her feet by the boy she rescued from the iceberg. She watched him fly off and remembered the kiss on the wall of Yu Dao.

Both kisses felt as if it was the last one.

Like he wasn't coming back.

_It was all his fault. _

The door opened.

"Katara," a different voice pulled her attention. The man in the doorway had a slender build and was slightly shorter than Yakone. His clothes were plain and his head was shaved. He carried bread in one hand and a jar filled with water in the other.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Who are you?"

"That's not important." He mumbled as he crossed over to her. He sat beside her on the cement at a comfortable distance. "Here." He broke a piece of bread and extended it to her. She turned her head away from him. "Look," he sighed, "if you want to eat, this is how it's going to have to be. Unless you want to eat off the floor."

"I will die before I have to depend on a man like you." She spat at him.

The man just shook his head. "You'll die if you depend on your husband to save you."

"How dare you—"

"Shut up! Listen, you and I both know that this isn't about you. You think any person in his right mind would want the Avatar hunting him down like he's gonna hunt Yakone? No. This is about control and chaos. If Avatar Aang doesn't comply with Yakone's demands eventually, you will die. And if you don't die, you're gonna wish you did."

The words cut her deep. There was no way out of this, not with her dignity. There was no avoiding pain. She was just a pawn in a sick game played by sick people. Now her husband was forced to play too. If he had just been home when he said he would be, none of this would have happened. They could be out counting the stars together; instead, Katara could only count her breaths until her last. With tear-filled eyes, she watched him get up and walk to the door. Another man with a crooked smile watched through the window of the door.

"If you'll excuse me, I need to go back to my other job." The man left the broken bread and jar on the floor. When he opened the door, he fought the man with the crooked smile away.

_It's all Aang's fault._

**A/N: Hey! I have not forgotten about this, I promise. Also, this is the last "reactions" chapter and the story starts moving. I have it all planned so thank you for staying with me. I'm really looking forward to some possible writing time over the Thanksgiving break. Speaking of Thanksgiving, I am very thankful for all of you reading! You make my heart smile. **

**~Elphie**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Careful Control and Specific Demands

_The next morning._

Aang concentrated on his breath. A simple task taught to him by the monks, ingrained in his mind as a small child, fundamental to his airbending training, now almost too difficult to bear as the world around him woke up. He'd open his eyes periodically to see birds flitting between the slim branches of the surrounding trees. Their songs sounded like screams in the static anxiety that charged through the air.

Nothing stopped to pay attention to the tragedy he was experiencing. The sun rose as always, the birds sang as always, and he sat in the lotus position out in the meditation pavilion as always. Routine proved to be his worst enemy. The more he struggled in vain to escape the reality of his circumstances, the more he could feel the universe pressing down on his shoulders.

Again, he breathed with slow control, focusing on the waves far below him.

_The air around him shifted into the peaceful change he longed for. His lungs embraced the relaxed air, allowing peace to wash over him. He opened his eyes slowly the way a person wakes up after sleeping in on Saturday morning. _

_ He saw the bright blue expanse of the sky and felt the warmth of the sun welcome him to the sanctuary his mind created. Turning his head to the side, he saw the ocean crawling slowly up the shore, extending its arm to lead him in, but he was just out of reach. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves of tropical trees behind him, hushing his mind and joining the voice of the water. _

_ Aang found the strength to sit upright. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as his eyes found Katara standing in the water. She was younger, her body not yet marked by age, her eyes still bright with wonder rather than dulled by experience. She moved with fluid grace. She and the water moved with each other, sharing the same soul. Two parts of one being danced together perfectly, unaware of his admiration. _

_ Closing his eyes, his mind filled with vivid memories of travelling the world with her. They were two parts of one whole. It was simpler to balance the world when Katara was with him to share the burden. But how long ago had he traded the one who meant the world to him for the stress of a world that never seemed to stay at rest. _

_ "Aang!" Katara's voice interrupted his thoughts. He opened his eyes again. She smiled brightly at him and motioned for him to join her in the water. "Come swim with me!" _

_ As he stood, he realized that he was younger as well. Lanky limbs did their best to stand with grace in the sand and he chuckled at his efforts. _

_ "Come on, Aang! The water is wonderful!" Katara called to him again and began to go farther from shore._

_ He took another deep breath in, thanking the spirits for another chance to simply be with Katara. He took another glance down the shore to experience the beauty around him too. He turned the opposite for just a second to look at the trees behind him, sheltering the beach. _

_ When he turned back, Katara was gone. _

_ Panic gripped his heart as he searched for her. He screamed her name as loud as he could. The once tranquil sea turned violent and swallowed his voice. He started to run out to the thrashing waves. Just before he set foot into the water, the ocean dried up in front of him. _

_ He sank to his knees. The sky above him dulled without the water to reflect it. The sky no longer kissed the ocean. Clouds shriveled and died. And he wished more than anything that he would have just gone. _

_ Tears welled in his eyes and burned as they fell to the sand. Aang knew that no amount of tears would restore the ocean. _

Aang's dreamlike state evaporated. As his eyes readjusted to the light, the blurred blue figure of his brother-in-law approached him, accompanied by Toph.

"We've been looking for you everywhere, _Aang_." Sokka said through gritted teeth, putting extra strain on his name. He folded his arms across his chest and stood with his feet shoulder width apart, towering over Aang. The expression he wore contained a storm of worry and annoyance, but also a stirring rage.

Toph stood next to Sokka with a more relaxed posture. Her left hand rested on her hip, but her energy still felt anxious.

"I've been here the whole time." Aang confessed, rubbing his head to alleviate the forming headache. "I needed something to stay ordinary; I'm sorry."

Sokka growled and then took a deep breath. "Okay. Fine. Whatever. We just need you to go over some of the evidence and do your best to recall last night. We need to know if you noticed something weird before you left the island for the meeting or if Katara mentioned anything strange. You were the last one to see her, Aang. You can't just _run off_."

Sokka's last phrase sent a new pang of guilt through Aang's gut.

"Meathead is right. If you want her back, we're going to need you to be engaged with all investigations. Without you, we can only guess." Toph added, offering her free hand to him.

Aang nodded. He refused Toph's offer to help him up and stood to his feet. "What do you want to know first?" This was his turn to clean up the mess he made. To put the pieces of the puzzle together until Katara was safe again. He turned to look over the bay at the city, making his jaw tremble with emotion. She was there. Somewhere.

"First we want you to walk us through what happened when you got home from the meeting." Toph said.

Aang nodded again. Without saying a word, he pushed passed the two of them and went back into the house.

Crime scene tape and numbers were scattered in haphazard clusters through the living room and kitchen, and all the way back to their bedroom where the note was found. It unnerved him seeing the safe haven he built for his family being dissected the same way bars or normally neglected alleyways were after a murder. He wanted to vomit again seeing his home become a nightmare. But he bit back the emotion and started to recollect the events of the night, beginning with the front door.

"This is where I first knew something was wrong." Aang said, gesturing towards the front door. "It was open when I got home." He stepped through the living room, ignoring the numbers, and headed straight to the kitchen. "This was my second clue. Katara never allowed anything to be sitting in the sink, and the rag was tossed on the floor. It's the little things like that." Toph and Sokka followed him in silence. "This is where I knew she was gone." Aang sighed, keeping his emotions away. "There was a note left on the vanity from whoever took her. That's it. That's all that happened last night after the meeting…. Well, before I went to Toph."

"What were you doing before the meeting?" Sokka didn't waste any time jumping in.

"We were packing for Ember Island."

Sokka raised an eyebrow. "You weren't already packed? You were planning that for a while, weren't you?" The man had a point. As the older brother of Katara, he knew that she would have had the bags packed days, possibly weeks, in advanced.

"Of course it was planned long in advance, and yeah, Katara already tripled checked our luggage by then, but we had to pack the bags on Appa." Aang defended himself.

"Two hours before your departure?" Sokka pressed.

An awkward pause settled before Aang relented his answer. "We got a little distracted." His words trailed off and his faced turned red as Sokka registered what he meant.

Toph couldn't contain a laugh. "Okay, detective Sokka isn't asking any more questions for the moment."

Aang breathed a sigh of relief and subconsciously took a step away from Sokka. He knew that Sokka had never grown out of "oogies" when it came to his relationship with Katara.

"All right, Twinkletoes, you got a call to meet with the council, yes?" Toph's tone morphed to seriousness after she brushed aside the awkwardness.

"Yes." Aang matched her intensity. Maybe he was missing a key element in his own story that Toph could dig up.

"You left and nothing seemed strange?"

"No. I also can't say I was paying much attention to the island because I wanted to get the meeting over with."

"Then you were out longer than expected."

"Yes."

"And when you came back, Katara was gone."

"That's right." Aang shook his head. "I just wish we knew something more."

"It's going to be okay, Aang." Sokka finally rejoined the conversation after regaining his composure. He placed a steadying hand on the Avatar's shoulder and gave him the best smile he could manage. "Katara married the most powerful man on the planet. She won't be missing for long."

"But what's power if it couldn't save her to begin with?"

Silence fell among them for a few moments. Toph and Sokka now understood the damage the situation had ravaged on Aang. His usually optimistic outlook shattered at his own failure. A surge of tension hit them due to the unspoken question, "Well, what do we do now?"

"Chief?" The voice of an officer finally shifted the atmosphere to something hopeful. "We found this nailed to the dock just now. We didn't see who left it, but it's pretty important." The man timidly handed the folded paper to Toph, who handed it to Aang, and waited for her approval.

"Thank you, officer, please keep looking for more evidence." She nodded to him and turned back to Aang and Sokka.

Aang began to tremble once again as he unfolded the note.

_You want her back? Here's what I want:_

_¥500,000 deposited into account number 792._

_The council to be disbanded._

_You and your little friends to get out of town._

_P.S. Once the first two are completed, there will be a ferry waiting for you. Oh, and every day that you don't comply, something bad will happen to Katara, so don't screw around._

**Sorry for the unexpected and unannounced hiatus. I can't say I'll be back for long, but this story will get finished. I can promise you that.**

**Love,  
Elphie**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Fate and a Pack of Dogs

_That Night_

He took one last look at her.

Her figure slouched uncomfortably, hair falling in front of her beautiful face. She couldn't run from him. Not anymore. He felt her quickened heartbeat. Her fear was his drug. Her fear was the Avatar's fear.

The Avatar's fear would be his downfall.

Yakone allowed a crooked smile stretch across his face. It was the end of the first twenty-four hours. He felt almost childlike with excitement. There she was. The one thing that could break the Avatar. Now his.

Turning away on his heel, he absent-mindedly reached into his vest pocket and pulled out a cigarette to satisfy the nicotine craving slowly gnawing at him. He made his way to a stuffed chair across the main room of the warehouse. It was placed perfectly to watch over the closet door, the main entrance, and his inner-circle committed to his revolution.

Laughter filled the empty space. Yakone assumed it was the Chang brothers again. They were rough street rats from Ba Sing Se's lower ring that enjoyed hustling unsuspecting citizens out of what little cash they had. When things turned sour, they never skipped a beat defending one another. The elder brother, Demyan, proved his worth as an earthbender long ago. The younger brother, Gituku, wasn't blessed with the ability to bend, but he made up for that lack of power with chi blocking. Yakone persuaded them two summers ago to join him, and now they wouldn't survive without him.

Approaching the closet door in carefully calculated steps was Shua. The wild card of the mix. He caused disaster everywhere he stepped. Nothing about him was compulsive. Precise was his nature, but lust was his vice. On the street, no one would suspect that the pasty-skinned man would enjoy the torture he inflicted, but one flash of his crooked grin gave a glimpse of the monster roaring inside of him. Yakone needed him as a last straw, in case the Avatar needed proof that his precious wife was in real danger.

He knew Katara could withstand cigarette burns and backhanded slaps, but Shua could destroy her. Her destruction was Aang's.

Just opposite of Shua, Rei crossed the floor quickly from his post at the main door. A smile tugged at Yakone's lips in anticipation of a good show. Rei was his best dog. A skilled firebender with a recently corrupted soul. The good often screamed inside for justice, but Rei wouldn't dare cross Yakone after he'd saved him from a life of a monotonous nine-to-five for which he was grossly underappreciated. Which is why when tossed out on the street, he was so eager to accept a job from such a distinguished man like Yakone.

The goodness was bubbling over in Rei; Yakone knew it by the flame in his eyes. Before Shua could even peek his head in to see Katara, Rei pushed him with so much force that he stumbled to catch his balance. Their voices were harsh, grabbing the attention of the other dogs. Hardly sixty seconds ticked by before Shua relented and slunk back to the group.

A smile plastered Yakone's face and he let out a brief chuckle at the exchange. He took a drag from the cigarette that tasted sweeter than ever. He realized he was finally in control of this game.

The sun set just hours ago, setting up the perfect stage for his puppet show to begin in the days to come.

_I groaned deeply just to hear my voice. My own personal way of checking to see if I was alive. My arms were numb from hanging above my head. The metal cut had cut into my skin weeks ago making each movement miserable. I was one of the lucky ones though. I had the privilege of sitting, while others weren't so fortunate._

_Other people groaned in response to me, crying to a spirit to save them. I knew better than they did. We were locked away in a cave that smelled like sweat and excrement. We had been in there for months, trapped in eternal agony. _

_There was only one way for me to count the days that passed while I was in here. Every full moon another poor sap joined our ranks. Since I had come here three people had entered the darkness._

_It had been four months since I traveled into the woods to pick up moon peaches from Hing Wai Island for Kanan. Then it happened. I couldn't move. I gasped for breath. The sensation was like nothing I've ever felt before. Now I was here, chained to the wall like a misbehaving animal. _

_When the door opened the last time, and some well-meaning kids set me free—they didn't know they unleashed hell. _


End file.
